540 HISTORY OF 



plenty, indolence, and safety. In fact, they are formed very dif- 

 ferently from all other quadrujieds, and, it is probable, they have 

 different enjoyments. Like birds, they have but one common 

 vent for the purposes of propagation, excrement, and urine. 



tlien the sloth seizes hold of them, and pursues his journey in safety. There 

 is seldom an entire day of Ciilin in these forests. The trade- wind generally 

 sets in about ten o'clocl< in the morning', and thus the sloth may set off atter 

 breakfast, and get a considerable way before dinner. He travels at a good 

 round pace ; and were you to see him pass from tree to tree, as I have 

 done, you would never think of calling him a sloth. 



" Thus, it would appear that the different histories we have of this quad, 

 ruped are erroneous on two accounts : first, that the writ<;rs of them, de- 

 terred by difficulties and local annoyances, have not paid sufficient attention 

 to him in iiis native haunts ; and secondly, they have described Iiim in a 

 situation in which he was never intended by nature to cut a figure; I mean 

 on the ground. The sloth is as much at a loss to proceed on his journey 

 upon a smooth and level floor, as a man would be who had to walk a mile 

 on stilts upon a line of feather beds. 



" One day, as we were crossing the Essequibo, I saw a large two-toed sloth 

 on the ground upon the bank ; how he had got there nobody could tell : the 

 Indian said he had never surprised a sloth in such a situation before : he 

 would hardly have come there to drink, for both above and below the place, 

 the branches of the trees touched the water, and afforded him an easy and 

 safe access to it. Be this as it may, though the trees were not above twenty 

 yards from him, he could not make his way through the sand time enough 

 to escape before we landed. As soon as we got up to him he threw himself 

 upon his back, and defended himself in gallant i5tyle with his fore-leg? 

 " Come, poor fellow," said 1 to him, " if thou hast got into a hobble to-day, 

 thou shalt not suffer for it : I'll take no advantage of thee in misfortune ; 

 the forest is large enough both for thoe and me to rove in : go tliy ways up 

 above, and enjoy thyself In these endless wilds ; it is more than probable 

 thou wilt never have another interview with man. So fare thee well. " On 

 saying this, I took up a long stick which was lying there, held it for him to 

 hook on, and then conveyed him to a high and stately Mora. He ascended 

 with wonderful rapidity, and in about a minute he was almost at the top of 

 the tree. He now went off in a side direction, and caught hold of the branch 

 of a neighbouring tree ; he then proceeded towards the heart of the forest. 

 I stood hulking on, lost in amazement at his singular mode of progress. I 

 followed him with my eye till the intervening branches closed in betwixt 

 us ; and then I lost sight for ever of the two-toed sloth. I was going to 

 add that I never saw a sloth take to his heels in such earnest j but the ex- 

 pression will not do, for the sloth has no heels. 



" That which naturalists have advanced of his being so tenacious of life, is 

 perfectly true. I saw the heart of one beat for half an hoiu- after it ^^•as 

 taken out of the body. The wourali poison seems to be the only thing that 

 will kill it quickly. A poisoned arrow kUled the sloth in about ten minutes. 



" So much for this harmless, unoffending animal. He holds a conspicuous 

 place in the catalogue of the animals of the new world. Though naturalists 

 have made no mention of what follows, still it is not less true on that ac. 



